Eavestroughs are widely used to collect rainwater from the roof of a building and direct the same away from the building and in particular the foundation thereof. The eavestrough also protects the soil proximate to the building from erosion by the rainwater dripping from the roof.
A common problem with eavestroughs has been the accumulation of debris therein. Such debris can include leaves, twigs, and the like. In order to obviate the problem, it is known in the art to provide a shield or cover which will allow the passage of rainwater from the roof to the eavestrough while protecting the same from extraneous foreign matter such as the aforementioned leaves and twigs.
A number of different approaches have been taken as to the design of the shield or cover and the attachment of the shield or cover to the eavestrough. Other approaches have also been taken to eliminate the problem of debris within the eavestrough. Thus, it has been proposed that the eavestrough be rotatably mounted such that they may be emptied at desired intervals. A further still further approach is one wherein a cover has an outer edge which curls downwardly and the water follows a curved portion due to the surface tension and thereafter cascades into the eavestrough. Theoretically, any leaves or other debris would not enter as they would continue to fall to the ground. However, when large volumes of water are encountered, the surface tension is generally insufficient to cause all the rainwater to flow into the eavestrough.
When utilizing the eavestrough cover, various parameters have to be taken into account. Thus, the size and number of the apertures in the membrane must ensure that there are sufficient openings to permit the water to enter the eavestrough even during heavy downpours. Also, it is important to take into account the attachment of the cover or membrane to the eavestrough. The attachment must be both secure and permit easy installation.
A still further problem which is encountered with the eavestrough is the staining of the front wall thereof. Particularly when the paint is of a poor quality, the rain water with surrounding contaminants can lead to a stain being formed on the front over a period of years. Naturally this is not aesthetically pleasing.